Greer's OC: Pair teams up for 'culinary collective'

Greer Wylder

East 17th Street in Costa Mesa is raising the bar as a farm fresh food destination. The 2005 opening of Avanti Café has inspired other like-minded organic eateries and stores to move in.

Now we have Sprouts Farmers Market, Greenleaf, and the new Anais+Raya Culinary Collective that just opened at Picnics Kitchen on East 17th Street. Organic, raw and vegan celeb chef Raya Belna teamed up with Anais Tangie, a local farmer's market advocate who runs the SoCo Farmer's Market and founded Special Eats OC, to create a haven for the farm-to-table community.

Anais+Raya Culinary Collective will offer cooking classes from local chefs, serve as a Market Grocery service and host pop-up restaurants and events.

From 5 to 7 p.m. on Sundays, Belna and Tangie will serve Farmers' Market Feasts with seasonal, local ingredients from the SoCo Farmer's Market in Costa Mesa. The family-style dinner changes weekly but will always include vegan, raw, organic, and free-range, grass-fed ingredients.

You can also stop in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for Belna's superfood smoothies, raw desserts, what's-for-dinner baskets and take-out foods at her WildCraft Elixir Bar at Picnics Kitchen.

At 6 p.m. July 26, join us at a gorgeous residence in Ritz Cove for OC Look.

The annual soiree hosted by Orange Coast Magazine raises funds needed to prevent, treat, and find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, through the Dream Guild of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The event celebrates 16 people recognized as the OC Look 2012 nominees for their style and accomplishments in Orange County. The advisory board is comprised of a team of fashionable trendsetters in Orange County.

During the party, everyone will be treated to MAC makeovers, handwriting analysis, informal modeling from Saks Fifth Avenue, a photo lounge, cocktails by Karlsson's Vodka and Bel Air Bellini, and more. There will also be an opportunity drawing for prizes packages, including exclusive retail items and packages.

All money raised will go directly to support JDRF's research in finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Soho Salon & Day Spa in Newport Beach recently opened with local stylist Daniella Kelley offering techniques inspired by Sassoon, Toni and Guy, and Leonard Castro.

In celebration, she's offering new clients 20% off on their first visit. Kelley specializes in precision cuts and styling, hair extensions, blowouts, highlights and color enhancements.

She's also an experienced make-up artist offering professional hair and make-up for bridal parties and other special occasions. Soho Salon & Day Spa also offers nail and skin-care treatments.

Soho Salon & Day Spa is in Westcliff Court, adjacent to Haute Cakes, at 1815 Westcliff Drive. For more information, call (949) 646-2021, or visit http://www.sohoOC.com.

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The year of the burger

It's been a great year for burger joints in Orange County. We've eaten more burgers in the past 12 months than Popeye's pal Wimpy.

Husky Boy, Umami, A Restaurant, Slater's and Crow Burger are just a few of our favorites. Now, Crow Burger Kitchen in Newport Beach will be celebrating its one-year anniversary on Friday by giving away a $10 gift card from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to every customer who orders a burger.

We say go for the Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger with black pepper cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, fried onion, garlic mayo and wheat English muffin. Feel like playing it safe? Then order the Crow Boy burger, with American cheese, house-made ketchup, pickle relish, shredded lettuce on a buttermilk bun.

Each day, the sister restaurant to Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar grinds a top-secret proprietary blend of house-ground meats (prime, chuck, short rib, brisket and hanger steak) for its artisan burgers, and uses freshly-made buttermilk buns at a local bakery, organic vegetables, house-made ketchup and smoked bacon.

GREER WYLDER writes Greer's OC for the Huntington Beach Independent each Thursday and the Daily Pilot and Coastline Pilot each Friday. She's the founder and president of greersoc.com, a free daily email service that provides the latest in Orange County fashion, dining, music, events and trends. Her blog can be viewed http://www.greersoc.com and she can be contacted at greer@greersoc.com.